Small Worlds
by RuthieG
Summary: TORCHWOOD Set during the scene between Jack and Gwen as he is discussing Estelle and the happenings in LaHore. AU from that scene, showing what I think should have happened.This is my first fic, so please be gentle.


This is a Jack/Gwen story.

If you like it then I will write more, for other episodes.

Please remember this is my first fic, so constructive criticism is welcome.

* * *

"Why don't ya come to mine? You shouldn't be alone tonight" Gwen said to Jack as he uncharacteristically was gripping a glass of whisky. "Rhys is on the road, and I could do with the company."

* * *

As they entered the dark quiet flat, Gwen started to remove that mornings paper off the sofa and told Jack to sit down and make himself comfortable. Jack sat down leaning his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, as tears silently trailed down his face.

Gwen took a bottle of wine off the rack, claimed the two glasses off the side and the corkscrew out the drawer. She put a hand on Jack's shoulder, grabbing his attention.

"Will ya open this for me?" Indicating to the bottle in her hands. Taking the bottle and the corkscrew he started to open the bottle as Gwen sat down next to him.

He looked over to Gwen as he poured the wine into the glasses she was still holding. Just as the wine was about to pour over the edge of the glass, Jack's concentration was back on the glass with a slight chuckle.

"Thanks for this Gwen. It's good to finally have someone to talk to." He put the bottle on the coffee table and stared down at the glass of wine that Gwen put into his hands. She knew that he was about to start wallowing again so engaged him into conversation.

"You kept your promise, you know" She said.

"What promise?"

"You was with her until she died."

"Still feels like I failed her"

"You shouldn't let yourself think that. You were with her in the end."

"Thanks Gwen, I'm gonna have to stop saying that." He said with another chuckle.

Looking back across at her, she could see tears threatening to fall from the corners of his eyes. She leant towards him and took his glass, putting it next to the bottle with her own on the coffee table. Drawing him towards herself she embraced him in a comforting hug and slowly leant them back on the sofa. Making themselves comfortable until Gwen sensed Jack relaxing against her.

"Jack, you need to sleep" It was a statement not a question. She knew he didn't need to normally but she believed it would do him some good.

Leading him towards her bedroom, he paused in the doorway.

"Just lie with me" She said, sensing his confusion. With a smile she continued. "You're not in the right mind for that."

Lying fully clothed on the bed, Gwen drew Jack back into a hug with him resting his head on her stomach and arms wrapped around himself. Gwen gently played with his hair as he slowly fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

They were awoken that morning by an angry Rhys standing in the doorway to his bedroom. He had come home early to find his girlfriend in bed with another man. Yes they were fully dressed and on the covers but that didn't matter, he still felt betrayed.

"Gwen what the hell is going on?" Rhys found himself saying. "I come home early to surprise you and I find the flat turned upside-down and you in bed with another man!" Pausing to take a breath, he stormed out the room.

"I take it Rhys isn't on the road anymore" Jack says, not moving from his comfortable cocoon until Gwen ran her fingers through his hair. He turned his head to look at her and she gave him a smile.

Removing herself from under Jack, She indicated for him to stay in the bedroom. Shuffling up the bed he got himself comfortable, and laid with his head on her just vacated pillow facing away from the door. As she left the room, he drew her pillow into his arms and hugged it close, blinking away a new set of tears.

* * *

Entering her living room she saw the carnage that had been created. There was only one being that could have created this mess but she had something more important to deal with.

Carefully she walked over to Rhys who was trying to pace out his anger in the kitchen. Seeing her he looked into her eyes, hurt visible in his own.

"It's not what it looks like" She finds the classic line leaving her lips.

"Well what's going on if its not what it looks like."

"That's Jack. My boss" She said indicating towards the bedroom. "We had a bad day yesterday. He's just lost someone he loves, I couldn't leave him on his own." She had tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she remembered the previous day.

Sighing he walked away from her towards the mess in the front room. Following him out of the kitchen, she continued to her bedroom.

* * *

She went into her bedroom to find Jack facing the wall, wrapped around her pillow. Walking around the bed, he opened his eyes when he felt her sit down.

"Jack we have a problem"

"What, besides your boyfriend finding us in bed together?" He said with a smile that lit up his tear-stained face. Smiling with him for a second, her face dropped as she remembered the carnage in her front room. "What is it Gwen?" He said sitting up.

"We had a visitor last night. Not Rhys" She said to his raised eyebrow, with a weak smile. "Those 'fairies' have demolished my front room!"

With a start, he rushed out of the bedroom and into the mess that was once her living room. Looking around he saw the circle of stones arranged on the floor, confirming Gwen's suspicions.

As he was just about to tell Gwen that he'd protect her, he found himself on the receiving end of Rhys' fist. Reeling back, he collided with the chair that once lived under the desk in the corner. From his position on the floor he looked up at Rhys.

"I'll see you at work Gwen. Don't worry about this, I won't let them hurt you." He said getting up from the floor.

"No." She said stopping him in his tracks. She gently ran a finger over the bruise that was appearing on his jaw. "Are you ok?"

"I will be." He said quietly as he felt Rhys' eyes burning into his back.

Pointing a finger at Rhys, and channelling her fear into anger, she turned on him. "Rhys don't you dare hit him again. Now I know what it looked like in the bedroom, but nothing happened.

"I'm going to work, i'll sort this mess out when I get back." She said getting her coat. "Come on Jack!" She shouted from the open doorway when she realised that Jack had not followed.

"I'm coming." He shouted back. "Nice to meet ya Rhys" He said facing him and holding out his hand which Rhys took one look at and turned away from him. Looking at Rhys' retreating back, Jack found his coat under the back of the upturned sofa and left the flat closing the door behind him.

* * *

The other members of the team didn't notice Jack and Gwen entering the hub together, or if they did they never said anything. Joining the rest of the team in the boardroom they started to discuss the problems they were currently facing. While Tosh got a weather warning from the program Jack had told her to create. Jumping into action they got on their way to a local primary school. Getting there just as everything was getting quiet as the pupils were leaving with their parents.

The teacher told Jack about the incident that had just happened, leading him to identify the 'Chosen One' as Jasmine Pierce. They then left the school to visit Jasmine.

On hearing the commotion happening around the back, the Torchwood team ran into Jasmine's back garden to witness a 'fairy' choking her mother's boyfriend for hitting her.

As one of the angry 'fairies' went for Jack, Gwen pushed him to the ground saving his life. Staying in her embrace a little too long, Jack moved towards the dead man laying in the trimmed grass. Owen took his place examining the man as Jack went to follow the little girl into the forest at the end of the garden, with Gwen on his heals.

With tears running down his face for second time in as many days, he let the 'fairies' take Jasmine. Even letting her mother beat his chest didn't relieve the pain he was feeling. This was made even worse with the silent glares he was getting from his team, even Gwen was avoiding him. He drove them back to the hub in silence and disappeared into it's depths.

* * *

Later that evening he entered the hub from his apartment hidden beneath his office, to find someone in the boardroom. Going up the stairs towards the boardroom, he relaxed when he saw that it was Gwen.

"What you still doing here?" He said startling her.

"Do you want the truth or the lie?"

"Truth."

"Avoiding Rhys."

"Why? We weren't doing anything wrong last night."

"That doesn't stop me wishing it had" She said in a whisper, but he still heard her.

She turned back to the large monitor and carried on examining the photo that had appeared. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leant his head on her shoulder and whispered into her ear "Stay with me tonight".

Turning slightly towards him to look into his eyes he lifted his head and kissed her. She turned around completely without breaking the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss was deepened. The kiss was only broken when the need for air overtook them. Taking her hands in his, he lead her to his office. Gwen gave him a quizzical look as he bent down next to his desk, but smiled as he opened the trapdoor to his apartment. Entering his apartment, he helped her safely down the ladder and took her into his arms. She was the one to start the kiss this time, which he gladly returned.

"You sure about this?" Jack said, giving her the option to back away. Her answer was to lead him over to his bed. He laid her down, and showed her how much he loved her.

* * *

The following morning, Ianto arrived at his usual time of 7am. He loved the hub at this time of the morning, as it was quiet without the team, and Jack would still be in his apartment.

His routine started with feeding the pterodactyl, and cleaning up any mess she had made over the previous evening. His next job normally was to leave a cup of strong coffee on Jack's desk, but this morning he was in for a shock to find that Jack wasn't alone. Realising that Gwen had stayed last night he went to make them coffee, leaving it in Jack's office and going back into the hub.

* * *

Jack heard Ianto enter his office and put their cups on his desk. Without disturbing Gwen, he got out of bed and climbed into his office. He was just about to go down when an alert rang down in the hub. With a quick look at the details, he left Ianto to call in the team as he went back down to Gwen with their drinks.

Jack put their drinks on the bedside table and looked at Gwen smiling up at him from his bed. Sitting down next to her, he said, "Gwen, we've got a case. You need to pop home and get your camping gear, we have people going missing in the Brecon Becons".

"That means I have to face Rhys" She replied quietly, turning away from him.

He was just about to tell her he would go with her, when her mobile rang. Looking at the ringer ID, Rhys' picture showed him as the caller.

"Hi Rhys" She said answering the call.

"_Where were you last night?_" He asked, rather angry at her for not calling him herself.

"I stayed in the dorms at work." Surprised at how easy it was to lie to him.

"_With HIM?_"

"If you mean Jack, then yes, he was here as well. We had work to do and we didn't finish until the early hours so it was easier to stay".

"_When will you be home?, we need to talk._"

"Soon. We've got to go up to the Brecon Becons, so i'll be over to pack a bag. I'll be away a few days, we'll talk then."

"_I'll get the bag off the wardrobe_." And with that he hung up.

She watched Jack finish off getting dressed, then stood-up for a hug before he gave her a quick kiss and went up to his office. Gwen got herself dressed and followed him up. She left not long after to get ready for what she didn't know was going to be a very tough assignment.


End file.
